A Dangerous Affair Chapter 74

A Chapter by Repgreece

End of the evening, what next?

Stephanie was laughing, her face buried against Tom as the chanting and singing continued. Tom laughed also and put his arm around her shoulders, holding her head to him and shaking his head at the crowd behind her. He hadn’t got a prayer at getting them to stop though, and he knew it. He ducked his head and asked,

“You okay there Stephie?”

She groaned and shook her head on his chest, feeling oddly excited about everybody knowing but also acutely shy about facing them all.

The song finally finished and Tom and Stephanie moved back to the table with everybody cheering and whistling all the way and Stephanie trying to hide her face behind Tom.

Suddenly Brick’s booming voice cut through all the commotion.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough. Get down off there,” he shouted to the reporters who were standing on the chairs. “Now I have something to say before I leave tonight.”

The whole room went silent and the reporters slowly climbed down off the chairs and took their seats again, wondering what Brick had to say. Before he spoke he noticed Bob lying on the floor in a drunken stupor next to the bar and Barker sitting nearby, trying desperately to fill Brick’s empty whiskey bottle with some whiskey from a bottle he had persuaded the barman to sell him.

“Barker,” he shouted out, making Barker almost jump out of his skin. “It might be an entirely better idea to just replace my bottle at some point tomorrow.”

“Right you are sir,” Barker replied as relief flooded through him.

“And somebody do something about him will you?” Brick said, pointing to Bob. Some reporters jumped up and dragged Bob off the floor, draping him over a chair before Brick began speaking again.

“Firstly I’d like to say that you are all…” he gave everybody one of his fiercest looks and they all cowered inside. Then his face suddenly changed as a broad grin spread across it, “…the best team a man could possibly hope to lead. Now don’t get me wrong you could all do with a kick up the rear on occasion but when it comes to the crunch and you’re needed, you never let me down. Credit where credit’s due." He smiled at them and everybody looked extremely pleased with themselves. "But if there’s one thing I hope that I have driven home to everyone in the team during the time I have had the challenging but rewarding job of leading it, it’s that none of you can afford to become lazy. Because it’s our job to make sure that the public know what’s happening in the world and what is going to affect their lives. They have a right to know and if we don’t give them the truth then someone else will print what they want to, and you all know what load of rubbish is printed these days. Always search for the truth and don’t be afraid to write it,’ he said, giving Stephanie a purposeful look which surprised her, “but most of all stand by each other as a team because as a team nothing can stop you. Look after each other,” he finished, this time glancing at Tom, “and in the near future if you find yourselves with a new boss I would hope that you'd all show them the same respect that you have shown me and continue to do the job that you are all able to do so well.” With that he held up his whiskey glass, “Here’s to the team.”

“The team,” everybody said in unison, taking a sip of their drinks and swallowing the lumps in their throats. Brick emptied his glass, placed it on the table and walked towards the door. Suddenly a loud sound cut through the silence and everyone turned to see Tom standing up, slowly applauding. Stephanie stood up next to him and began clapping also and gradually one by one, each of the reporters stood in silence and all that could be heard was the sound of loud applauding as Brick walked past them. He reached the door, opened it and turned to take another look at his team. He nodded his head a few times as if satisfied with something and then he smiled a soft smile which told them how proud he felt. Then he left.

All the reporters made their way out of the bar then, leaving Tom and Stephanie still sitting at the table. On his way out Barker left the remains of his failed attempt to transfer the whiskey in front of them and trudged moodily towards the exit. Simon and Pippa strolled up to them arm in arm.

“Bye, bye sweetie,” Pippa said to Stephanie, holding her arms out for a hug. Stephanie stood up and hugged Pippa. “Don’t forget, tell him soon,” she whispered into her ear before giving her a kiss on the cheek. “And let’s not make it so long next time before we do this again,” she added out loud, turning to hug and kiss Tom.

Simon took Stephanie’s hand and pulled her to him, hugging her closely and whispering, “You know I’ll always love you. Be happy eh.”

She kissed him on the cheek. “I love you too Simon.”

He wished that that was true, in the way he wanted anyway.

Lastly Simon turned to Tom and held out his hand. “Good to meet you mate.”

Tom shook his hand. “Yeah, keep practising your John Wayne.”

Simon laughed.

“And next time you’re in this part of town give us a call eh,” Tom smiled.

“I’ll do that.” Simon turned to leave but stopped and added to Tom before he left, “Look after her for me will you?”

Tom sat down and put his arm around Stephanie. “You know I will.”

Then they left.

Stephanie sighed loudly and leant her elbow on the table top. Tom looked down at her.

“What’s wrong Stephie?” he asked.

“Everything is changing. Don’t like change,” she sulked.

“Sometimes change is good,” he pointed out.

“When?”

He thought about it. “Err, a change of scenery, that’s good.”

She didn’t look impressed.

“Okay, I can do better than that,” he said, trying to rethink through the haze of alcohol. “Ah, I know, change from twenty pounds when you go to the corner shop.”

She shook her head at him. “That’s not the same thing.”

He sighed and picked up one of the half bottles of whiskey, pouring them another glass. “Here, drink this and cheer up.”

She took a gulp and cringed. “He’s going to leave the paper isn’t he?”

“Well, it’s going to happen one day,” Tom said.

She pouted. “Well I don’t want it to happen today!”

Tom looked confused. “It can’t happen today.”

“Or tomorrow,” she added.

“I’ve got it!” he suddenly exclaimed.

“Got what?” she asked.

“A good change. You kissing me in front of all the guys, that’s a change!” he grinned.

She giggled. “That certainly is a change!” Then she looked worried all of a sudden. She put her finger to her mouth. “Oh, but perhaps we shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Going to regret it in the morning.” She bit her lip.

“Nah you won’t,” he said, dismissing the idea with a hand gesture.

She looked thoughtful, biting her nail. “Yes I will, but,” she grabbed his arm suddenly in a panic and he jumped, “You mustn’t remind me of it in the morning.”

“No?”

She shook her head, a very serious expression on her face. “No, don’t tell me a thing about it and I’ll be just fine. Nothing happened, ok?”

“Oh, yes, mum’s the word,” he assured her.

“Shhh,” she said.

“Shhh,” he said.

“Soooo,” he said, looking at her sideways, “What do we do now then?”

“Well you know Tom,” she replied, putting both hands on his arm, “I think it’s about time to go home.”

They both looked up and realised that they were the only people left.

“Yep, definitely time to go home,” he agreed. “But....whose home do we go to?”

“I’ll go to my home, you go to yours,” she said.

He frowned. “Nah, don’t like the sound of that.”

“What then?” she asked.

“What about you go to my home, I go to mine?”

She tried to figure that one out but looked uncertain. “No, don’t like that either. How about you go to your home, I go to yours?”

He looked impressed. “Okay, you win,” he said, jumping up suddenly, grabbing the bottles in one hand and her arm in the other.

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